


Test of Faith

by Nerd_of_Camelot



Series: Adapt or Die [1]
Category: Five Nights at Freddy's
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, But he's not evil, Don't Have to Know Canon, Don't Judge Me, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Family Bonding, Family Dynamics, Family Issues, Gen, I wrote this for me but y'all can read it if you want, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Michael Afton Has PTSD, Michael Afton is the older brother, Michael-centric, No Bite of '87, Not Canon Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Character Death, Psychological Torture, Psychological Trauma, Self-Harm, Self-Worth Issues, The Crying Child is named Jeremy Afton, William Afton is a Bit Not Good, William Afton | Dave Miller being a Jerk, again i need to reiterate that william is not the villain, and also learning not to be a jerk, but he's not the one causing this, in fact pls read it, is he a jerk? yeah
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:13:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28483692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nerd_of_Camelot/pseuds/Nerd_of_Camelot
Summary: "I've taught you everything I can, you won't benefit at all from staying. Go on, Mikey ― go ahead. Leave. You know right where the door is.”Michael Afton was nothing if not adaptable.When you were faced with an unfamiliar and terrifying situation, you adapted, or you died. And he had adapted very, very quickly.He could adapt to this as well.He wasn’t naïve enough to believe that the cardinal rule was not still true out here, but he was still foolishly hopeful enough, he guessed, to believe that maybe some of the rules he’d learned before all of this might still apply. And… He was free, right? He was out of this?((Important Info In Tags))
Relationships: Charlotte "Charlie" Emily & Sammy Emily, Elizabeth Afton & Michael Afton & William Afton | Dave Miller, Michael Afton & Charlotte "Charlie" Emily, Michael Afton & Mrs. Afton, Michael Afton & Original Character(s), Michael Afton & Sammy Emily, Michael Afton & The Crying Child, William Afton | Dave Miller/Mrs. Afton
Series: Adapt or Die [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2086410
Kudos: 14





	Test of Faith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First post of the new year, and it's an awful, self-indulgent, edgy AU XD
> 
> Sounds like me, tbh  
> 2021 is the year of me writing for myself
> 
> Anyways hope y'all enjoy, and if you have any questions don't be afraid to ask! You can always yell at me in a comment or over on my [tumblr](fusion-ego.tumblr.com).

Michael Afton was nothing if not adaptable.

He’d seen and done enough at the age of 16 that he could navigate most situations without issue. He could survive alone in the wild, speak to the police without balking, use all manner of weapons, climb trees, vault walls, persist for days without sleep or food. He’d faced off against people far more terrifying than he could put words to and come out on top. He’d lived through things that had killed the other people involved, been the sole survivor of some  _ awful _ situations.

He was a  _ master _ of adaptation.

… But this was a new beast entirely to him.

_ “I’ve taught you everything I can,” _ He had said ― the man who had taught Michael all this,  _ “You won’t benefit at all from staying. Go on, Mikey ― go ahead. Leave. You know right where the door is.” _

So he’d grabbed his backpack, still mud-splattered from the final round, and trudged to the door. Wary of it being a test he had hesitated, but ultimately decided that if it was a test, waiting around wasn’t the way to pass it. And, pass or fail, he didn’t want to be here anymore.

Michael was adaptable ― had had it beaten into him for years.

When you were faced with an unfamiliar and terrifying situation, you adapted, or you died. And he had adapted very,  _ very _ quickly.

He could adapt to this as well.

And so he had pushed open the door below the gleaming red EXIT sign, stepping out into the narrow alley, feeling rain on his skin and the crispness of late night air. He breathed in deep as the door swung shut behind him. Breathed in his freedom. Breathed in the knowledge he now had a choice again.

He wasn’t naïve enough to believe that the cardinal rule was not still true out here, out of the direct line of sight of Facade, but he was still foolishly hopeful enough, he guessed, to believe that maybe some of the rules he’d learned  _ before _ all of this might still apply. And… He was free, right? He was out of this, out of Facade’s control?

He wasn’t sure what to do with that kind of freedom of choice.

Now, he had to wonder… Where was he?

… And, more importantly…

_ Would going home now get him killed? _

There was, unfortunately, only one way to find out the answer to the second question, and it required him to figure out several other things first.

So, first order of business?

Figuring out where he was.

He would make up the rest of his plan after that.

He shifted his bag higher on his back, clutching at the straps and blowing his knotted, dirty bangs out of his face as he looked around, picked a direction, and started walking. He was between warehouses, and the air smelled enough like salt water that he knew he had to be near the ocean… So all he could do for now was walk the narrow alleyways between the warehouses until he got onto the street. Until he could figure out what city he was in, what state, and start figuring out how to make his way home.

And if going home was even a reasonable option at this point.

He wasn’t sure that it was.

But aside from the cardinal rule, he hadn’t been sure of anything in a long time, and he couldn’t let that start stopping him now.


End file.
